Jets 53 Man Roster/Practice Squad Observations

[JetNation]

By Glenn Naughton

 

 

Week 1 kickoff is less than a week away and the Jets have their 53-man roster (and part of their practice squad) in place, at least for now.  So here are a few things you might want to know about the most current edition of Gang Green’s roster from top to bottom.

Quarterbacks (4)- Ryan Fitzpatrick, Geno Smith, Bryce Petty, Christian Hackenberg

No change to the Jets quarterback situation despite rumors of a few clubs contacting the Jets to touch base on a price tag for second-string QB Geno Smith.

Fitzpatrick hopes to build on a 2015 that saw him throw a team-record 31 touchdown passes.

With Smith still slated to carry the clipboard behind Ryan Fitzpatrick, it shows that preseason results don’t always carry a lot of weight in the eyes of the front office.  Third-string QB Bryce Petty posted superior numbers to Smith as both quarterbacks faced other team’s reserves, but in the end, the Jets opted to go with Smith who has completed just 57.9% of his passes as a pro.

Outside of an impressive first drive in his debut during week 3, Hackenberg was nothing short of a train wreck from that point on.  Saying the second-round choice is a “project” would be a lot like saying the Patriot’s integrity is “questionable”.

Running Backs (4)- Matt Forte, Bilal Powell, Troymaine Pope, Julian Howsare

Forte and Powell give the Jets a pair of multi-dimensional veterans who can run, catch and block while doing all three very well.  This should give coordinator Chan Gailey a multitude of options on offense.

Pope was added yesterday after being let go by the Seattle Seahawks despite averaging 6.8 YPC during the pre-season.

Howsare sticking around makes sense.  The Jets rarely use a fullback and his background as a college linebacker and special teams ace give him more value than Tommy Bohannon.

Wide Receivers (6) – Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker, Quincy Enunwa, Robby Anderson, Charone Peake, Jalin Marshall

The top three come as no surprise, but the fact that the bottom three are made up of a 7th round draft choice (Peake) and a pair of undrafted

Robby Anderson was the NFL’s top receiver in the pre-season.

free agents  says a lot about the work Jets scouts put in this offseason.  Once Devin Smith returns, the Jets will have three receivers who run legitimate sub-4.4 40’s in Anderson, Peake and Smith.  Quincy Enunwa’s 4.45 isn’t all that shabby either.

Tight End (4)-  Kellen Davis, Brandon Bostick, Braedon Bowman, Brian Parker

This is clearly a temporary set-up.  Hopefully adding Bowman and Parker are moves to jettison Davis who is advertised as a pass blocking tight end who, last season, couldn’t block.  Bostick surprised some by sticking as well, but having played wide receiver in college, he’s more athletic than he gets credit for.

Bowman and Parker were picked up off the waiver wire from the Jaguars and Chiefs respectively.  Bowman is a former college teammate of recently released tight end Wes Saxton.  Parker has appeared in just 9 career games, logging just one reception.

Offensive Line (9)- Ryan Clady, James Carpenter, Nick Mangold, Brian Winters, Ben Ijalana, Brent Qvale, Dakota Dozier, Wesley Johnson, Brandon Shell

Again, no surprises among the starters no matter who gets the nod at RT between Ijalana and Qvale.  The guards are set and Mangold is Mangold.  The concern comes with the lack of depth.  Dozier is versatile and athletic, but untested.  Johnson filled in for an injured Mangold several times last season and the running game came to a halt as a result.  Shell was unlikely to get waived given his status as a rookie whom the Jets traded up to grab in the 5th round this season, surrendering a 4th rounder in next years draft.

Defensive Linemen (6)- Muhammad Wilkerson, Leonard Williams, Jarvis Jenkins, Steve McLendon, Deon Simon, Lawrence Thomas (Sheldon Richardson–suspended for week 1)

The unquestioned strength of the team led by Wilkerson, the only complete unknowns in the group are Deon Simon and Lawrence Thomas.  Simon spent most of last season on the practice squad while Thomas is an undrafted free agent out of Michigan State.  Despite an underwhelming college career in which he logged 72 tackles (24 solo) and 6 sacks in 38 games, the Jets took a gamble on Thomas.  One Thing worth noting is that Thomas should be quite raw and athletic after converting to the D-line after coming to Michigan State as a fullback.

As most fans are aware of by now, Sheldon Richardson will serve a one game suspension to start the season.

Outside Linebackers (4)- Lorenzo Mauldin, Jordan Jenkins, Mike Catapano, Josh Martin

Mauldin is looking to bounce back from a shaky pre-season.

This is a position that should be under the microscope early on.  The only returner in the group is Mauldin who had a shaky preseason to put it mildly.  He played far more than you might expect for a starter in the final preseason game and has come under fire for sloppy tackling and technique early on.  His job may not be as safe as some think if he doesn’t clean things up a little bit.  With so few real reps in training camp, this isn’t exclusive to Mauldin so the time to panic isn’t now.

Jenkins has been inserted as a starter from the day he arrived and hasn’t given the coaching staff any reason to reconsider that decision. Catapano had a short stint at defensive end with Gang Green last season before going down with an injury and being converted to linebacker during the off-season.

Martin is one of the surprises to make the roster out of camp as a fourth-year pro who has spent time with the Chiefs and Bucs before catching on with the Jets last season.  In 21 career games (1 start), Martin has 21 tackles, 1/2 sack and a forced fumble.

Inside Linebacker (5)- David Harris, Erin Henderson, Darron Lee, Bruce Carter, Julian Stanford

David Harris remains the leader of the unit and the quarterback of the defense in the middle, while Henderson, who saw increased playing time as the season went on last year enters 2016 as a starter with the Jets.  Lee should be Bowles’ most valuable chess piece as he finds ways to allow the Ohio State product to utilize his 4.47 speed to chase down quarterbacks and cover backs and tight ends.

Carter is this season’s version of Henderson as an experienced veteran who has played in 63 career games (35 starts), picking up 211 tackles, 5 sacks and 5 interceptions.

Stanford gave the Jets coaching staff no choice but to carry him on the 53-man roster as he was outstanding on defense and special teams for the majority of camp.

Cornerback (5)- Darrelle Revis, Buster Skrine, Marcus Williams, Juston Burris, Darryl Roberts

For what many considered a “down year” for Revis, he was still one of the top corners in the NFL.  Skrine will play on the outside in base formation, sliding back inside to the slot with Williams manning the boundary in sub packages.  Burris has been hot and cold in camp but showed enough to make the 53 and will likely get a chance to contribute on a regular basis.

Buster Skrine will be on the move quite a bit in 2016.

Roberts was  a seventh-round pick of the Patriots last season and a candidate for their practice squad this season if he’d cleared waivers, which he didn’t as the Jets scooped up the 6′ 190 lb Marshall product.

Safeties (3)- Calvin Pryor, Marcus Gilchrist, Rontez Miles

Pryor and Gilchrist look to build on what was a solid season in 2015 with Pryor being the enforcer in the secondary and Gilchrist making the calls and adjustments.  Miles, or the “Tezmanian Devil”, has fast become a fan favorite as an intense in-the-box safety who hits big in sub packages and on special teams.

If no more additions are made before the season starts, depth will be an issue at safety, so it’s worth noting that Burris played some safety early on in his college career and may be a better option in a pinch than Marcus Williams who isn’t as physical as you’d like a safety to be, whereas Burris has shown no hesitation to stick his face in the fan.

Specialists (3)- Nick Folk, Lac Edwards, Tanner Purdum

Nick Folk remains in place as one of the top kickers in team history, and rookie Lac Edwards has Jets fans more excited than they’ve ever been about a punter.  His consistently deep punts in the pre-season with hang times in the 5-second range made some of the nightmares of Ryan Quigley era go away.  Purdum, as with most long snappers, could probably walk through the parking lot of MetLife an hour before kickoff without anyone knowing who he was…and that’s a good thing.

Practice Squad:

OLB Freddie Bishop– A project pass-rusher imported from the CFL, Bishop didn’t register a sack during the pre-season, but showed enough for the Jets to continue working with him on their practice squad.

CB Bryson Keeton- A big cornerback at 6′ 2”, Keeton gives the Jets a developmental project who some reports have as posting a 4.4 40 time.

S Doug Middleon- Don’t be surprised to see Middleton bumped up to the active roster if the Jets don’t make a move to add a safety at some point in the near future.

DL Claude Pelon- The Jets invited Pelon to camp as an undrafted free agent out of USC.  Pelon didn’t have a particularly productive college career, but he did show impressive agility for a guy who checks in at 6′ 4”, 300 lbs.

OL Craig Watts- A personal favorite of mine heading in to camp, a quick peek at twitter during cut down day told me I wasn’t alone. Several reporters who cover the team felt Watts played well enough to make the roster.  As it turns out, he didn’t, but the Jets liked him enough to put him on the practice squad.  Watts played exclusively at guard with the Jets, but could fill in at RT in a pinch.

Watts had a stellar pre-season for Gang Green.

WR Myles White- With six receivers already on the roster, carrying a 7th on the practice squad comes as somewhat of a surprise.  White spent 2014 with the Packers and 2015 with the Giants.  He was in camp with the Giants this season and has played in 19 career games, picking up 16 catches for 154 yards and 1 touchdown.

DL Victor Ochi- Ochi’s availability came as somewhat of a surprise.  A dominant college player at the lower levels with Stony Brook University, Ochi went undrafted but picked up 3 sacks during preseason play with the Baltimore Ravens.  Definitely a small-school player worth working with over the long-term.

Three practice squad spots remain unfilled at this time.

Injured/Suspended list:

Both Dee Milliner and Trevor Reilly cleared waivers after being let go by the Jets.  Having been given an injury designation, both players return to the Jets and go in injured reserve and could be joined by Khiry Robinson if he clears waivers after suffering a broken leg.  The remaining players on IR consist of DL Jake Ceresna, RB Romar Morris, DE Julien Obioha, RB Matthew Tucker.

PUP List:

RT Breno Giacomini

WR Devin Smith

While the Jets roster currently shows the required 53 players, it’s far from set in stone, but in six days, fans just hope they’re ready to go.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[flgreen]

Another great job Glen.

 

Just wondering, What did you see out of Watts that made him a personal favorite of yours?  Jets depth at OL worries me a bit.  Would be nice to think that a future "player" in on the PS

[NYs Stepchild]

I think Watts just looks like he has potential. Good size. Solid base. Natural knee bend, and doesn't get pushed back. Still needs work but no glaring mistakes makes him the best of what we have. 

Parker was used last year as the blocking TE, but he has good athleticism for his size. A lot of TE depth on the Chiefs. Especially pass catchers. I sure hope he can unseat Davis.

[AFJF]

13 minutes ago, flgreen said:

Another great job Glen.

 

Just wondering, What did you see out of Watts that made him a personal favorite of yours?  Jets depth at OL worries me a bit.  Would be nice to think that a future "player" in on the PS

After the Jets grabbed him I watched some of his pre-season games with the Chargers last season on All-22 and he was obviously far from perfect, but you could see that once he got his hands on a guy, the defender had a very tough time shedding.  Also excelled in the few short-yardage/goal line plays he took part in.  Powerful guy who could be a mauler.  His pass blocking needed some work but you'd expect that coming from a guy from a smaller school.

I also liked that he got work at RG and RT but clearly the Jets don't see him as a RT or he would've been a perfect candidate to get regular reps out there with Geno out.

I interviewed his college coach who had some positive things to say about him.  http://www.jetnation.com/2016/06/15/new-york-jets-khiry-robinson-craig-watts-hope-to-go-from-small-school-to-big-time/#sthash.wwSEhrm3.dpbs

For the most part, held up very well in the pre-season.  Looked sloppy from time to time, but played well the vast majority of the time.  Even got some reps against "Snacks" and held his ground.

I had him on my final 53 and saw that a couple of the regular beat writers had him on theirs also.

Oh...I also found a piece on him from Lecharles Bentley who runs the only O-line only training academy in the country and he RAVED about Watts after working with him leading up to the draft.

 

[C Mart]

12 minutes ago, AFJF said:

After the Jets grabbed him I watched some of his pre-season games with the Chargers last season on All-22 and he was obviously far from perfect, but you could see that once he got his hands on a guy, the defender had a very tough time shedding.  Also excelled in the few short-yardage/goal line plays he took part in.  Powerful guy who could be a mauler.  His pass blocking needed some work but you'd expect that coming from a guy from a smaller school.

I also liked that he got work at RG and RT but clearly the Jets don't see him as a RT or he would've been a perfect candidate to get regular reps out there with Geno out.

I interviewed his college coach who had some positive things to say about him.  http://www.jetnation.com/2016/06/15/new-york-jets-khiry-robinson-craig-watts-hope-to-go-from-small-school-to-big-time/#sthash.wwSEhrm3.dpbs

For the most part, held up very well in the pre-season.  Looked sloppy from time to time, but played well the vast majority of the time.  Even got some reps against "Snacks" and held his ground.

I had him on my final 53 and saw that a couple of the regular beat writers had him on theirs also.

Oh...I also found a piece on him from Lecharles Bentley who runs the only O-line only training academy in the country and he RAVED about Watts after working with him leading up to the draft.

 

i posted this in another thread

http://cover32.com/2014/02/25/exclusive-former-pro-bowler-lecharles-bentley-reveals-sleeper-prospect-for-dallas-cowboys-in-draft/

[flgreen]

24 minutes ago, AFJF said:

After the Jets grabbed him I watched some of his pre-season games with the Chargers last season on All-22 and he was obviously far from perfect, but you could see that once he got his hands on a guy, the defender had a very tough time shedding.  Also excelled in the few short-yardage/goal line plays he took part in.  Powerful guy who could be a mauler.  His pass blocking needed some work but you'd expect that coming from a guy from a smaller school.

I also liked that he got work at RG and RT but clearly the Jets don't see him as a RT or he would've been a perfect candidate to get regular reps out there with Geno out.

I interviewed his college coach who had some positive things to say about him.  http://www.jetnation.com/2016/06/15/new-york-jets-khiry-robinson-craig-watts-hope-to-go-from-small-school-to-big-time/#sthash.wwSEhrm3.dpbs

For the most part, held up very well in the pre-season.  Looked sloppy from time to time, but played well the vast majority of the time.  Even got some reps against "Snacks" and held his ground.

I had him on my final 53 and saw that a couple of the regular beat writers had him on theirs also.

Oh...I also found a piece on him from Lecharles Bentley who runs the only O-line only training academy in the country and he RAVED about Watts after working with him leading up to the draft.

 

Thanks Glenn.  Very encouraging report

[LIJetsFan]

CINCINNATI -- The Cincinnati Bengals are trying to put an injury-riddled preseason behind them as they prepare for the regular-season opener at the New York Jets.

The good news for coach Marvin Lewis' team is that plenty of depth exists at most positions, and the core of talent which led the Bengals to a fifth straight postseason appearance last year remains intact.

After having his season abruptly halted by a fractured thumb in Game 13 against the Pittsburgh Steelers while attempting a tackle following an interception, quarterback Andy Dalton is looking for a repeat performance of the 2015 campaign in which he set a franchise record with a 106.3 rating.

Dalton's teammates made it clear that he is not permitted to play defense this season.

"Whatever happens out there, he needs to run his butt back to the sidelines," said cornerback Adam Jones. "If you go back and look at what he was doing before he hurt his hand. ... He stepped up tremendously with his leadership, and well you saw how well he played."

Dalton spent the preseason getting comfortable with a new offensive coordinator, although he and former quarterbacks coach Ken Zampese had worked together his entire career. There is also a new crop of receivers after Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu left via free agency.

But Dalton will have veterans A.J. Green and Brandon LaFell, and options out of the backfield in Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard while tight end Tyler Eifert recovers from an ankle injury suffered in the Pro Bowl. Eifert is targeting the weeks 4-6 for his return.

And then there is rookie receiver Tyler Boyd who had an outstanding preseason.

"He's got really good hands," Dalton said. "and he's really smooth. You already can see he's learned a lot. He's playing a lot faster than he was initially."

Despite some transition and a few injuries in the secondary, Cincinnati's defense largely is intact. The dynamic pass-rushing tandem of Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap are back to cause havoc for opposing quarterbacks.

Veteran linebacker Karlos Dansby signed with the Bengals during the offseason to make another run at a Super Bowl. Dansby turns 35 in November, but the Bengals like what they've seen from him.

"Karlos has been great for us," said linebackers coach Jim Haslett. "He's been smart, he knows what to do, and he knows how to win."

Despite a rash of preseason injuries which includes lineman Cedric Ogbuehi and Jake Fisher and special teams stalwart Cedric Peerman, Cincinnati is confident it can finally snap a 25-year long streak of postseason futility.

"Working through the injuries is part of being a good team," Lewis said. "We've got to develop some depth and we well-rounded, and I think the playing time some other guys have gotten has helped us do that."

The Bengals began last season 8-0 before losing three of their last five following Dalton's injury, including the late meltdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC wild-card game, a loss the team spent much of the winter attempting to process.

Cincinnati hopes to get a few of its injured players back before facing the Jets at MetLife Stadium on Sept. 11. The Bengals are 8-15 all-time against the Jets, not including a pair of postseason losses. The Bengals routed New York 49-9 in their last meeting in 2013. The Jets beat them in the playoffs in both 1982 and 2009.

--Cornerback William Jackson III will have surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle suffered early in training camp. Lewis said the prognosis is good for the Bengals' second-round pick who remained on the 53-man roster in anticipation of a return in 2016.

"We feel that William Jackson ... from what we've been told, have an opportunity to possibly come back at some point during the season, so we're going to try to keep that option open for us," Lewis said.

--The past two seasons for Marcus Hardison have been lost to injury. The defensive lineman was placed on injured reserve on Saturday with a shoulder injury suffered during a preseason game at Jacksonville. He was inactive all 16 games last year due to injury.

"It's a shame when a guy has to go through that two years in a row," Lewis said. "It's disappointing for him and disappointing for us as a team."

--Linebacker Vontaze Burfict was placed on the suspended list on Saturday, so he will not count against the 53-man roster. Burfict, who did not play during the preseason, is suspended for the first three games of the regular season stemming from repeated violations of rule pertaining to player safety, most notably his hit on Steelers' receiver Antonio Brown in last year's AFC wild-card game.

On Saturday, coach Marvin Lewis was in no mood to discuss his embattled linebacker.

"We're not doing to discuss what Vontaze can and can't do," Lewis said. "We're not going to talk about anything to do with Vontaze. He's no longer on the team right now."

http://www.wptz.com/sports/nfl-season-preview-bengals-limp-into-opener-against-jets/41517464

[AFJF]

15 minutes ago, flgreen said:

Thanks Glenn.  Very encouraging report

Thanks...but as we know, there were some pretty great reports about Ryan Spadola and Dorian Boose back in the day.

It's fun and entertaining to watch/research/speculate, but even the HC's and GM's don't know how these guys are gonna' pan out.

Can't wait for Sunday!!!!

[Tinstar]

So to sum it up, the Jets have a pretty Solid and Young Defense and an offense whose 2 most important players are an Over the Hill never was QB and a Pro Bowl Offensive center who's on the wrong side of 30 and slowing down .

Who here thinks the Jets have a shot at making the Playoffs this year ?

[bostonmajet]

3 minutes ago, Tinstar said:

So to sum it up, the Jets have a pretty Solid and Young Defense and an offense whose 2 most important players are an Over the Hill never was QB and a Pro Bowl Offensive center who's on the wrong side of 30 and slowing down .

Who here thinks the Jets have a shot at making the Playoffs this year ?

That about sums it up; you forgot a good WR core with some exciting potential in the wings and much improved Special Teams.

[TheMagicRat]

I'm not a big college football. I'll watch the major programs when they are on but that's about it. However, I will occasionally read scouting reports about players that are needs for us before the draft. Last year I actually read a report on Mauldin and was happy when we drafted him, believing he could be our OLB of the future.

It's a little concerning that he has had a shaky preseason and saw action in the 4th game. He must need more work than I (or even the coaching staff) thought. Hopefully he turns it on once the regular season starts. Pass rush from our LBs could be the difference between a very good defense and a great one. 

[32EBoozer]

Definitely catching the Bengals at the right time...

No Burfict, down 2 OL, working in 2 new receivers and missing their Pro Bown TE.

Add to that CB Jackson being out really must have Chan considering running a lot of 4 WR groupings.

Once you get past Kirkpatrick and Jones Bengals are looking thin at DB. Dennard did not impress me last season.

Forte and Powell all day out of the backfield.

[sirlancemehlot]

"Shell was unlikely to get waived given his status as a rookie whom the Jets traded up to grab in the 5th round this season, surrendering a 4th rounder in next years draft."

 

Yuck.  Shell cost us two draft picks?  I must have missed that.  

[C Mart]

4 minutes ago, sirlancemehlot said:

"Shell was unlikely to get waived given his status as a rookie whom the Jets traded up to grab in the 5th round this season, surrendering a 4th rounder in next years draft."

 

Yuck.  Shell cost us two draft picks?  I must have missed that.  

No. They traded a '17 4th to pick him in this yrs 5th. Didn't have a 5th this yr since it went to Denver for Clady. 

[sirlancemehlot]

1 minute ago, C Mart said:

No. They traded a '17 4th to pick him in this yrs 5th. Didn't have a 5th this yr since it went to Denver for Clady. 

Ahh, thank you.  Forgot we didn't have a fifth.  That makes it a little easier to swallow.

[Nostradamus]

Outside Linebackers (4)- Lorenzo Mauldin, Jordan Jenkins, Mike Catapano, Josh Martin

"Mauldin is looking to bounce back from a shaky pre-season.

This is a position that should be under the microscope early on.  The only returner in the group is Mauldin who had a shaky preseason to put it mildly.  He played far more than you might expect for a starter in the final preseason game and has come under fire for sloppy tackling and technique early on.  His job may not be as safe as some think if he doesn’t clean things up a little bit.  With so few real reps in training camp, this isn’t exclusive to Mauldin so the time to panic isn’t now.

Jenkins has been inserted as a starter from the day he arrived and hasn’t given the coaching staff any reason to reconsider that decision. Catapano had a short stint at defensive end with Gang Green last season before going down with an injury and being converted to linebacker during the off-season.

Martin is one of the surprises to make the roster out of camp as a fourth-year pro who has spent time with the Chiefs and Bucs before catching on with the Jets last season.  In 21 career games (1 start), Martin has 21 tackles, 1/2 sack and a forced fumble"

 

Jenkins was the starter the weeks leading up to the first 2 preseason games...not the 3rd.   Catapano took his place opposite Mauldin in practice before Jenkins got the calf injury in practice.  Catapano was used primarily as a situational pass rusher last year, so although listed as a DE he was basically a pass rushing linebacker.   Jenkins will see playing time I'm sure but Catapano and Mauldin "should" be the starters vs Cinci...but lets see.  Bowles isn't tipping his hand on this position too much.  It will be an interesting position to watch.  Hopefully Mauldin bounces back from a shaky preseason